1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever fixing apparatus of a cassette housing and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus with the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, such as a camcorder and a videocassette recorder (VCR), has a cassette housing for loading and unloading a cassette to and from a reel table of a deck.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional cassette housing of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus.
A cassette housing includes a chassis 3 having a front plate 1 and side plates 2 and 2′ provided at both sides, X-shaped lever assemblies 7 and 7′ for fixing first and second levers 4, 4′ and 5, 5′, which are connected to each other by respective connecting pins 6 and 6′ (see FIG. 3A), on the side plates 2 and 2′ of the chassis 3, respectively, a cassette holder 8 fixed to upper portion of the X-shaped lever assemblies 7 and 7′, eject springs 9 and 9′ for connecting upper portions of the first and second levers 4, 4′ and 5, 5′, a locking lever 11 having an operating portion 11a provided at a lower portion and rotatably connected to the side plate 2 of the chassis 3 by a shaft pin 10, a hook pin 12 fixed on a sidewall of the cassette holder 8 and selectively hooked on the locking lever 11, a tension spring 13 for biasing the locking lever 11, a damper gear 14 rotatably coupled at a rear side of the wall of the cassette holder 8, and a sector gear 15 formed on an upper portion of the first lever 4 and engaged with the damper gear 14.
The operation of the above-described conventional cassette housing will be briefly described hereinafter.
In the operation of positioning the cassette holder 8 to a seating position, when the cassette holder 8 is gently depressed in a state where it is ejected as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, the X-shaped lever assemblies 7 and 7′ are folded up and descended as the ejected springs 9 and 9′ connected between the first and second levers 4, 4′ and 5, 5′, are tensioned. Therefore, the locking lever 11 is hooked on the hook pin 12 of the cassette holder 8, thereby positioning the cassette holder 8 in the seating position as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A.
In the ejecting operation of the cassette holder 8, when the operation portion 11a of the locking lever 11 is pushed by a locking lever operating unit (not shown) in an arrow direction A as shown in FIG. 2B in a state where the cassette holder 8 is loaded in the loading position as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A. The locking lever 11 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft pin 10 against the biasing force of the tension spring 13, thereby making the hook pin 12 of the cassette holder 8 free. As a result, the X-shaped lever assemblies 7 and 7′ are unfolded (widened or opened) by the eject springs 9 and 9′, thereby ejecting the cassette holder 8 as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B.
In the above-described cassette housing, the cassette holder 8 is fixed on the side plates 2 and 2′ of the chassis 3 by sliding fixing units 16 and 16′ formed on the side plates 2 and 2′ and the first lever 4 and 4′ and by hinge fixing units 19 and 19′ formed on the side plates 2 and 2′ and the second levers 5 and 5′.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, after projection pins 17 and 17′ formed on lower portions of the first levers 4 and 4′ are inserted into pin insertion holes 18 and 18′ formed on the side plates 2 and 2′ and the shaft pins 20 and 20′ are inserted into shaft pin holes 21 and 21′ formed on lower portions of the second levers 5 and 5′ and the side plates 2 and 2′, the cassette holder 8 is fixed on the chassis 3 by a suitable fixing means, for example, washers (not shown).
However, since a plurality of additional coupling parts such as the shaft pins 20 and 20′ that will be inserted into the shaft pin holes in the course of a fixing process are required, the fixing process is complicated and the assembly time is increased, thereby diminishing productivity.